Upperz Demo

Physics in video games have evolved a lot in the past few decades, especially if you look at older titles that tried to mess with the concept. One of the earliest games to feature an iconic physics engine was Half-Life 2, and it inspired countless titles ever since. However, things have gotten much better since then, given the fact that even indie games can easily integrate powerful physics.

Upperz is a 2D platformer that takes the “destructible environment” idea to a whole new level, thanks to the fact that it allows you to reduce entire stages to rubble. Granted, the environments are also very basic, which means that you don’t get to destroy highly detailed skyscrapers, but then again there are other ways to make the concept fun. Hence, in this case it’s all about moving quickly and using special abilities.

The main character is nothing more than a red ball that can jump, dash and pass through certain objects with ease. Your goal is to navigate the levels and avoid obstacles, as well as enemies when they make an appearance. Speed is crucial throughout the game, because some sections require you to perform many jumps and dashes in a coordinated fashion in order to make it out.

There are also massive enemies that make an appearance sometimes, and you have to find their weak spot in order to bring them down. Watching them crumble is a lot of fun, especially since it takes a bit of effort to avoid their wild flailing or annoying projectiles. To make things even more exciting, you can play with your friends in local co-op, or even challenge them in the Versus mode.

Speaking of which, there are some other modes you can try as well, such as the Arcade Mode, which challenges you to climb an infinite tower and get as high as you can. In terms of graphics, the game is as simple as it gets, but you do not need much to have fun under these circumstances. The controls are snappy and responsive, exactly how they should be in a fast-paced platformer such as this one.

Upperz is a fun-packed experience, especially since the destructive environments make for a different challenge every time. Thus, you can show the developers your support by participating in their Kickstarter campaign.